Influence of urban green areas on the ant fauna

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the influence of characteristics of afforestation of urban green areas on the ant fauna. The research was conducted in an urban park and five public squares in Três Rios, Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil. We obtained the density of trees, density of tree species, and air temperature. The ants were collected using sardine baits on the ground and on the trunk of trees. We collected 44 ant species: 26 species on the ground and 37 species on the trees. The density of tree species positively influenced the total number of ant species and the diversity of ant species collected on the trees. Thus, the increase of density of tree species in urban green areas can contribute to the conservation of biological diversity.

biodiversity; conservation; Formicidae; synanthropy